Fuchsia with a bit of Glitter | MANICURE MONDAY

Hello!

"a lovely shade that screams 'ME'"

Spring is well and truly upon us, and if you caught a glimpse of the Spring Nail Colour Picks, and had a little look at the Spring Inspiration Board, you'd know this colour is definitely a go-to Spring shade. Oh, and what better way to spice it up than with a bit of glitter, ey? :)

The combination is one of those, you know, the ones that you do not want to get rid of, even if it's chipping from left, right and centre? Yep, one of those! You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be wearing this shade, if not the combo, again sometime this season.

"what better way to spice it up than with a bit of glitter, ey? :)"

In all honesty, I was going for the gold glitter, but as I only had a candle lit and the lamp on in my room (you know, to create a nice atmosphere and all), I blindly picked out the silver glitter instead. However, I loved the way it looked - everything happens for a reason, right?! 

All in all, the fuchsia is a lovely shade that screams 'ME'. Shame it was a limited edition, though! Nonetheless, I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

Tell me, if you were to pick one 'ME' shade, what would it be? 

Spring 2015 Nail Picks | BEAUTY

Hello!

"the colours I picked haven't 'gone-all-out', but there's a nice range that I think truly represents me"

It feels like forever since we've bought out the pastels, and now the time has come. The first day of Spring has sprung (ha!) so you can feel free to whip out those shades you put away about 6 months ago. Having said that, it is totally fine to wear whatever shade you want to in the autumn and winter - so if you were rocking pastels in the mist of November, GO YOU! :)

"the grey may still dominate"

Although it's Spring, the weather hasn't been wanting to change too much in London. Well, it did for about 3 days, and then went back to grey clouds. Maybe it's the weather that doesn't let the little nail-colour freak inside of me not want to pick out all the pastel shades, or maybe I'm just saving them for the summer. Either way, the colours I picked haven't 'gone-all-out', but there's a nice range that I think truly represents me.

From Left to Right:
Barry M Watermelon
Barry M Kiwi
Barry M Limited Edition 030
Barry M Cappuccino 
Barry M Aqua Glitter
Ciaté Pocket Money

"choosing the colours that make you feel comfortable"

As you can tell, there's a lot of Barry M going on here! With great formulas, an ever-growing shade range and their incredible price - where can one go wrong?

In the end, it's all about choosing the colours that make you feel comfortable. To me, these are the ones. I'll leave them lined up on the shelf near my nail polish box, so I can just pick and go! Having still being obsessed with grey's, I have a feeling it may be the most used this season, but I shall keep you updated!

"It feels like forever since we've bought out the pastels, and now the time has come."

As most of the colours on the runways for SS15 were bare/nude nails, it'd be wrong not to include Ciaté Pocket Money. Nonetheless, the grey may still dominate for me. It's not ALL about the trends now, is it?! :D

Tell me, what shade do you think will be on your nails a lot this Spring? 

Blue With Sparkles: Manicure Monday

Hello!

"this shade is super forgiving, and works all year round, despite the name on the bottle."

When comes a day off, comes a day to paint your nails. In the mist of February, with rain sometimes pouring like nobody's business, and other times you feeling so close to summer you can (literally) feel the sun on your skin, it's hard to decide what colour to wear on your nails. Fear not, this shade is super forgiving, and works all year round, despite the name on the bottle.

 I think naming the gel polish collection after a fruit is a trend, seeing as they also did it for the other blue shade I have from this line, see this post here. The formulation of the line is lovely, and 2 coats gives the ideal opaque finish.

Compared to the Rimmel Pro Polish's, the brush on this polish is a lot more narrow, and I'm a huge fan of the wide brushes. None-the-less, as you continue to paint your nails, the brush becomes wider and moves more freely, allowing better application.

Now it had been a while since I put on an accent nail, but having not had used this glitter topcoat in a while, I feel like it needed to go for a run. Having said that, the polish is beginning to get gloopy, yet, I'm sticking with it for now, and hopefully it still works for me next time! Who says that accent nail trend is going out of style?

As for the base and top coat, the No 7 ones, mentioned in this post, are the ones I used. My favourite thing about them is that they dry very quickly. I've always had that issue where I get prints, out of nowhere, on my nails before the polish dries - yet the No 7 top coat prevents this as they're dry before I have time to destroy them! Did I mention it's super quick drying? Well, it deserved to be said twice!

What's your in-between-seasons go to shade?

No 7 Base + Top Coat, First Impressions : POTW

Hello!

"Popping into Boots and realising they had the buy one get one half price thing going on...I'd go for the No 7"

One thing I learnt from writing this post: taking pictures of clear things is very difficult. Okay, now that that's out there, let's move on. 

"I'm a sucker for the labelling and I am hoping it works wonders"

No 7 is not such a bad brand. Well, it's actually quite a good brand and when realising my go-to Barry M top coat was literally on it's last legs, with it taking much longer than it should to coat one nail with the clear shade, it was time to invest in a new one. Popping into Boots and realising they had the buy one get one half price thing going on, with a £3 off voucher, I thought I'd go for the No 7. 

"the wide brush is what sold it for me."

The fact that there's two different formulas for the base and top coat confuses me a little. What is the actual difference? I have no idea. However, I'm a sucker for the labelling and I am hoping it works wonders. In particular, the wide brush is what sold it for me. If you saw this post, you'd know how much easier it is to apply nail polish with this type of brush.
Who would've thought the size of the brush would drastically change your manicure routine?

LINKS:
No 7 Top Coat : Amazon, Boots
No 7 Base Coat : Amazon, Boots


What's your all time favourite top/base coats?

Rimmel by Kate - MARS: POTW

Hello!

"Here's to another Red!"

Although the ultimate red nail season is gone, bye-bye autumn, in all honestly, Red is a colour that will last all year round. It's a classic, a staple in every girls nail collection and one that will never go old.

The good thing about the Rimmel Salon Pro range is the brush. The width is large and makes it a lot quicker, and easier to apply the colour. It's the same brush as the one I've talked about in this post, and seriously, the overall effect is great. Who wouldn't want a fabulous manicure in a matter of minutes?

"Who wouldn't want a fabulous manicure in a matter of minutes?"

So, is it just another red added to the collection or something special? Well, I haven't yet tried it out but when I do, you might just see it on Instagram!

Here's to another Red!

Do you have a favourite red polish?

Autumn Nail Picks - 2014

Hello!

"a REAL reason for you to buy more nail polish ...we're always looking for a justification!"

The colder weather means snuggling up in knit scarves, gloves and putting on your favourite booties. It also means autumn nail shades - you know the ones I mean. It may even be a REAL reason for you to buy more nail polish (lets be honest, we're always looking for a justification!).

"range from nudes, to greys to jewel-toned red's and greens are all of which I love!"

Autumn is my favourite season, and this seasons nail colours are no different. The range from nudes, to greys to jewel-toned red's and greens are all of which I love! Never-the-less, you could of course wear whatever shade you would like to - no one is going to stop you ;)

"A staple in every girls collection!"

My Picks (from Left to Right):
FCUK grey tone (part of a previous fall collection): It's a one tone plain grey. Minimal, clean yet fit for fall.

Barry M - Cappuccino: a warmer grey shade, more of a creamy finish and by far one of my fav Barry M shades I've tried!

Barry M Magnetic - Blue: A metallic navy blue shade which has cool designs when you put a magnet over it. Not sure if I'm still into the magnet thing but the shade on it's own is awesome!

FCUK blue (part of previous fall collection): A one tone blue. Not too dark to be a navy - just the perfect mid-blue!

Ciaté - Pocket Money: The nude of my collection. You may have read about it in this post. It is a gorgeous flat nude shade and I don't know what I'd do without it!

FCUK deep purple (part of previous fall collection): The vampy, almost black shades also come out during this time of year. This is a one-tone (notice a trend?) deep purple which is a go-to if you want black, but not black!

Barry M - Red Wine: A deep red, burgundy shade which is definitely the go-to for a glam, Marilyn Monroe look. A staple in every girls collection!

That's it! Whats your favourite nail shade for Autumn 2014?

CHANEL Fall 2014 Nail Collection

Hello!

"hello to darker, deeper and neutral shades"

I feel like a broken record when I say this but autumn is literally around the corner now, meaning bye-bye to neon, pastel and bright nails and hello to darker, deeper and neutral shades. 

"Saying bye-bye to neon shades won't be that bad"

Chanel released their new Fall 2014 collection with these three shades, two of which are lighter neutrals and one a navy blue. The neutrals are great additions to any collection as they could easily pass off as summer shades, yet this range has been said to be streaky. They say you'll need a good 3 coats to get a solid good colour on your nails.

Saying bye-bye to neon shades won't be that bad, as the deeper, darker and neutral shades are more my cup of tea! Which do you prefer: neons or darker shades? 

*Images from Chanel.com

Manicure Monday: Mint Sparkles

Hello!

"you've basically seen everything before - yet this time, it's completely different."

If you were ANYWHERE in the last few weeks, you would have read this. If you read that, you would recognise something on here today. You may recognise another something if you saw this post and hence meaning you've basically seen everything before - yet this time, it's completely different.

"can we agree that the overall finish is pretty?"

Well, after all that, can we agree that the overall finish is pretty? At first, the mint shade, called Kiwi, was thought to be uber lovely by itself as a perfect summer shade but when choosing a colour to go with my outfit I wore to a wedding last week (can you tell with the henna tattoo?!?!), this one was a perfect match and to make it more wedding-y, I added some sparkle! 

Overall, that's my mani Monday - what's yours? 

Nude at the Beach - ft. Ciate | Mani Monday

Hello!

Incase you didn't read the last two words of the title, it is a manicure monday - and just FYI I wasn't nude at the beach! :)

"The accent nail is a little added bonus bling"

I know this combination may not be your cup of tea, I was originally going for an orange and blue, but found I don't own the right orange so the next best was the nude - and I love it.

"I now can say it's my favourite nude"

Having owned the Ciate polish for a while now, I had only worn it once - this being the second time and I now can say it's my favourite nude. The accent nail is a little added bonus bling, creating correlations to the seaside - hence the idea of 'Nude at the Beach'!

"the next best was the nude - and I love it"

The perfect summer mani IMO, and I must say, the packing for Ciate is so gorgeous!

Have you tried Ciate, if so what's your favourite shade? 

Manicure Monday: Pastels are Back - Ice Cream Purple

Hello!

What is THE biggest trend for Summer pretty much every year?

Yep it's Pastels. That means there are pastel bags, pastel clothes and.... inevitably pastel nails! 

Pastels are said to make one look tanner and more summer ready! The most popular pastels would probably be the pastel pinks and whites - you know what I mean if you read this post. 

I was going for a pastel pink but opted for a pastel PURPLE this time round and I love it! It's slightly different yet also in the same pastel family.

This particular shade is Barry M Nail Paint in Ice Cream Purple - I've always loved Barry M for their quality and for this shade I needed 2 coats for an opaque finish.

What's on your favourite Pastel shade?

Mani Inspiration: Summer Edition

Hello! 

As I have nothing special on my nails yet, it was time for some nail inspiration - Summer Edition, of course! ;)

Knowing from the last Manicure Monday on BBXO, you'd realise I love Coral. Oh, and I love Gold. So, you guessed it: I love this mani! It is so girly yet summer-y and.. perfect! The accent nail was totally a thing a while a go but I feel it's still trendy enough to pull off without looking 'so last year'! 

Who said Navy is for the Winter? Well it is, but it's also for the summer! Working the Navy with the White makes it appropriate for this season. The all-different nails add dimension to the nails and they look pretty together.

Representing Pastels - there's no better colour group than Pastels for this season - show off your tan and make you feel like the Sun is officially here to stay!

Image Source: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Lilac is also a lovely colour that is undermentioned. It rarely is a huge topic of interest yet would work wonderfully as a mani.

What's your favourite Mani for Summer? 

Manicure Monday: Goddess - Rimmel by Kate Moss

Hello!

The sun is peaking out from behind the clouds (about time, it IS June) in the UK and quite possibly where you are too! That means the darker shades are to be put away and lighter, brighter shades bought out for the season. Being a fan of Nudes and Taupes, this was a lovely colour I was dying to try since receiving it with the Rimmel by Kate Mascara - see post here.

It's a lovely shade, less coral than I would have adored but a lovely shade, anyway. It is basically a complete white with a tiny bit of orangey/pink added to it - know what I mean?

In terms of applying it, the brush is SUPER wide but short, so you cover a large amount of nail at a time - making it really quick to do your polish! 

See the Shimmer?

You can just about see it, but the shade has a slight pearly shimmer (see picture above) which you cannot spot when on your nails. In fact, the colour looks more matte on the nails. 

Have you tried the Rimmel by Kate Moss line yet?

Manicure Monday - the Brightest of Purples

Hello!

Happy Monday! I hope you're well and enjoying the Spring Weather (or Winter weather, depending where you are in the World)!
Considering that it is Spring in London, I wanted to pick a colour that would suit the season and my preferences! I love deeper colours and this one really was exactly what I wanted!

This Barry M shade caught my eye, and it turned out beautiful! 

I did put on quite a few coats as I like the colour to be opaque, yet one/two coats would have easily been enough!

I love the shade range that Barry M have, a lot of which I have acquired in my collection!
I love that the shade is perfect for this season and suits my preferences!

What's your favourite nail polish brand? 

Mani Monday: Denim Blue

Hello!

After about 2 months, yes you read that right - 2 MONTHS, of having bare nails, I thought it was about time to paint them again. I had gotten used to seeing them bare, but couldn't bare it any longer! (see what I did there?! haha)

Being it Spring time, it's usually the time to whip out the denim. This, as well as the blue trend I mentioned in the last nail post, it was nice to take advantage.

I went with a blue from FCUK, and didn't realise how much I love nail polish!

What shade are you currently wearing, or are you bare like I was?!

New OPI Brazil Collection - SS14

Hello! 

The sun is finally peaking out from behind the clouds now meaning it's a good time to talk about Brazil. Well, OPI's new Brazil SS14 Collection, that is! 

I am a huge fan of OPI for many a reasons, one being the very creative names on probably every nail colour they have and the second being how on point they are with the trends of the season. Now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I buy every new OPI Nail Polish released, in fact most of my polish are not OPI, yet I do find myself painting my nails in similar shades to their recent collections!

So, these are the colours for Spring Summer 2014:

The Brazil Collection consists of mostly creme finishes with both neutrals and brights. I have seen the bright yellow colour in many SS14 collections, so that will be a bit hit this season.

Out of this collection my favourites would be 'I Såo Paulo Over There' and 'Toucan Do It If You Try' - see what I mean by the names?! I love taupes and coral, so these shades are 'right up my alley'.

What do you think of the collection and your favourite shades?

Polish Images Source